God’s Tree

The next day sun barely touched the horizon when Malakar woke them.

Kaelred groaned, "Why do you do this to us?"

Argolaith smirked as he stretched, "Because we need it."

Malakar ignored them, his glowing violet eyes unwavering as he stood before them. "Yesterday, you fought against elemental magic. Today, you face something worse."

Kaelred sat up. "Worse? What could be worse than being roasted alive?"

Malakar's lips curled into a smirk. "Illusion magic."

Silence.

Kaelred looked at Argolaith. "We're going to die."

Argolaith chuckled, tightening his sword belt. "Only if we're too dumb to tell what's not real."

Malakar's voice was calm. "Exactly."

Then the world shifted, It was instantaneous.

One moment, they stood in a quiet clearing.

The next—Kaelred and Argolaith were standing alone.

Kaelred turned sharply. "Malakar?"

No answer.

Argolaith looked around, his grip tightening on his sword. The trees looked too perfect, the shadows too still.

Then—Kaelred's voice came from behind him.

"Argolaith. Look at me."

Argolaith turned.

But Kaelred's eyes were wrong.

They glowed like molten gold, his face slightly distorted as if his features were shifting beneath his skin.

Argolaith stepped back.

"Nice try, Malakar."

Kaelred frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Then—another voice came from behind him.

"Argolaith."

Kaelred's voice. Again.

Argolaith turned sharply.

And there—stood another Kaelred.

Identical. Expressionless. Watching.

Kaelred—the real one—swore. "Oh, this is some dark magic bullshit."

The two Kaelreds moved in sync, tilting their heads.

Then they both spoke at once.

"Which one is real?"

Argolaith exhaled slowly.

Malakar was testing their instincts.

And if they guessed wrong…

The illusory Kaelred moved first. A blade flashing toward Argolaith's throat, Argolaith didn't hesitate.

He dodged, twisting his body. His sword lashed out, cutting through the air—

And the fake Kaelred vanished.

The real Kaelred cursed. "You could've given me a second to say something!"

Argolaith smirked. "No time for second chances."

Kaelred shook his head. "I hate how good you are at this."

Then—the world warped again.

Malakar's voice echoed.

"You found the illusion. But what if the illusion finds you first?"

The ground cracked, the sky turned black.

And suddenly, Argolaith and Kaelred weren't alone anymore.

Figures emerged from the shifting darkness.

At first, they looked human.

Then—they changed.

One had no face.

Another had too many arms.

A third one moved like liquid, its form never quite solid.

Kaelred gripped his sword. "I hate this. I really hate this."

Argolaith exhaled. "Stay sharp. Focus on what's real."

One of the creatures moved.

Fast.

Kaelred barely blocked the attack, steel clashing against something that felt solid—yet wasn't.

Argolaith stepped into the fight, his blade carving through the nearest figure.

It vanished instantly.

Malakar's voice echoed again. "Good. Now tell me—what happens when the illusion fights back?"

The remaining figures began to shift.

And then—

They turned into Malakar.

Three Malakars stood before them.

Identical. Expressionless. Watching.

Kaelred cursed. "Oh, come on."

One Malakar raised a hand.

A blast of dark energy surged toward Argolaith.

He barely dodged, rolling to the side.

Kaelred swung his blade at another Malakar—but his sword passed through empty air.

The third Malakar moved faster than the eye could track, appearing behind Argolaith in an instant.

A whisper in his ear.

"You already lost."

Argolaith turned sharply—his sword lashing out.

Steel met steel.

For the first time, one of the illusions actually blocked.

Argolaith grinned. "Found you."

The real Malakar smirked. "Did you?"

Then the entire battlefield exploded in darkness.

Everything turned black.

No sound.

No light.

Kaelred's voice was distant. "Argolaith? Where are you?"

Argolaith gritted his teeth. "Still here."

Malakar's voice echoed, calm as ever. "What do you do… when you can't trust your eyes?"

Argolaith closed his eyes.

And then—he listened.

The faintest shift of fabric.

A whisper of movement.

A single breath.

Argolaith moved.

His sword struck true.

And the darkness shattered.

The illusions faded.

Malakar stood where he had been before, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

Kaelred collapsed onto the ground. "I hate this. I hate magic. I hate you."

Malakar smirked. "Good. That means you learned something."

Argolaith exhaled sharply, sheathing his sword. "Illusions… they're worse than any physical fight."

Malakar nodded. "Because they don't just attack your body. They attack your mind. If you hesitate, you die."

Kaelred groaned. "I feel like I did die."

Malakar chuckled. "Then let's do it again."

Kaelred stared at him. "You are the worst."

Argolaith laughed. "Come on, Kaelred. You almost kept up."

Kaelred grumbled. "I hate both of you."

Malakar smirked. "Tomorrow, we move on to even worse things."

Kaelred's eyes widened. "What could be worse than this?!"

Malakar's smile grew. "You'll see."

And with that—

The training continued.

Because when the Veiled Order came next time…

Argolaith and Kaelred wouldn't just be ready.

They'd be unstoppable.

The next day.

The morning air was still. Too still.

Argolaith and Kaelred stood in the clearing where they had trained for days, their bodies sore but hardened, their reflexes sharper than ever.

Malakar faced them with his usual smug expression, arms crossed over his chest.

"You've learned to counter elemental magic. You've fought against illusions. Now, you face something worse."

Kaelred groaned. "You keep saying that, and yet every time, it's somehow true."

Malakar smirked. "Of course. Because today… you're going to learn how to fight against teleportation magic."

Argolaith's eyes narrowed. "Teleportation?"

Malakar nodded. "Some mages don't rely on raw strength or elemental attacks. Instead, they use space itself as their weapon. They strike from nowhere, avoid attacks that should kill them, and turn the battlefield into a nightmare."

Kaelred exhaled slowly. "And let me guess… you're one of those mages?"

Malakar's smirk widened. "Who knows?"

Then, he vanished.

Kaelred barely had time to blink before Malakar reappeared behind him.

A flick of his wrist—a dagger flew straight at Kaelred's back.

Kaelred twisted, barely dodging in time. The blade sliced past his ribs, just a hair too close.

Then Malakar was gone again.

Argolaith's grip on his sword tightened. "Stay sharp, Kaelred. He's testing our reaction time."

Kaelred growled. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed!"

Another dagger whistled through the air.

Kaelred dodged—only to realize too late that Malakar had reappeared right in front of him.

A shadowy fist struck Kaelred's stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

Kaelred staggered backward, coughing. "Damn it—he's too fast."

Malakar chuckled. "I'm barely trying."

Argolaith rushed forward, sword slashing through empty air.

Malakar teleported just before the blade could touch him.

Then, he reappeared behind Argolaith—dagger aimed for his throat.

But Argolaith was ready.

He spun, his blade flashing upward in an instant.

Malakar vanished a split second before Argolaith's sword would have struck him.

Then, he reappeared several feet away, smirking.

"Not bad. You're learning."

Argolaith and Kaelred exchanged a glance.

Kaelred exhaled. "We're never going to hit him, are we?"

Argolaith's eyes narrowed in thought. "Maybe not in a normal fight."

Kaelred frowned. "What do you mean?"

Argolaith smirked. "I have an idea."

Malakar watched them with amusement. "Oh? A strategy? Let's see it."

Kaelred rolled his shoulders. "Fine. But if this fails, I'm blaming you."

Argolaith laughed. "You always do."

Then, they moved.

Argolaith charged forward again, sword raised.

Malakar teleported away—just as expected.

But Kaelred was already moving.

Instead of attacking directly, Kaelred threw several small daggers into the air—seemingly at random.

Malakar reappeared—only for one of the daggers to barely graze his arm.

His smirk faltered for a split second.

Argolaith grinned. "Got you."

Malakar's eyes brightened slightly.

Then, he vanished again.

But now—Kaelred and Argolaith weren't attacking randomly.

They were tracking his movements.

Each time Malakar teleported, he landed just a little closer to where they expected him to be.

Argolaith lunged forward, sword flashing.

Malakar dodged, but just barely.

Then—Kaelred's dagger flew straight toward his chest.

Malakar teleported at the last moment.

And landed exactly where Argolaith was waiting.

Argolaith's sword sliced toward his throat.

For the first time, Malakar had to use his own blade to parry.

Steel clashed against steel.

For the first time in this battle…

Malakar was on the defensive.

Malakar grinned. "Impressive."

Kaelred panted. "Damn right it is."

Argolaith smirked. "Are you going to admit we won yet?"

Malakar chuckled. "Not quite."

Then—he vanished one last time.

But instead of reappearing immediately, the air grew eerily silent.

Kaelred and Argolaith stood back-to-back, scanning the area.

Kaelred whispered, "Did he just run away?"

Then—Malakar's voice came from everywhere at once.

"No. I just wanted to see if you could handle something more interesting."

The ground beneath them shook.

The air itself seemed to distort.

And suddenly—the entire world went dark.

Kaelred clenched his fists. "Oh, not this again."

Argolaith exhaled. "Calm down. We've handled illusions before."

Kaelred muttered. "Yeah, but what if it's not an illusion this time?"

Argolaith froze.

Kaelred realized what he had just said. "…Oh."

The darkness shifted.

And then—something moved inside it.

Malakar's voice was barely above a whisper. "Survive this, and I'll consider your training complete."

Kaelred groaned. "I really hate him."

Argolaith smirked. "Come on, let's finish this."

And with that—the final battle began.